Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/16/2012

Florida unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent

Florida's unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in October, reaching the lowest point in nearly four years, the state's Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday morning. The state added 14,700 jobs over the month while the number of unemployed Floridians fell by 20,000, knocking the total number of jobless below 800,000. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Department of Economic Opportunity.

IN CASE YOU MISSED ITCall of duty

Students at Stetson University's new law institute battle on behalf of veterans and active-duty personnel.

Apart from giving law students practical experience, the institute also takes on varied roles in serving both veterans and active-duty military personnel.

The nation’s high unemployment rate captures the headlines with each monthly jobs report, yet many Americans may be surprised to learn that real earnings, when adjusted for inflation, have declined across most industries and sectors since the Great Recession. Since 2002, in fact, it has effectively been a lost decade for workers. [Source: McClatchy]

5 tax planning tips for year-end

Year-end planning is a bigger challenge this year than in past years. Unless Congress acts quickly, tax rates will increase next year and many more individuals will be affected by the alternative minimum tax (AMT), various deductions and other unavailable tax breaks. As a result of expiring Bush-era tax cuts, individuals are expected to face higher tax rates on their income next year, including capital gains, dividends, and estate tax. [Source: Gainesville Business Report]

Osceola County and Kissimmee Business Portrait: Pioneers were drawn to Osceola County centuries ago for good reasons -- lots of flat land and fresh water. Those same resources still support the county today.

Familiar Field: Stetson University in DeLand is preparing to take to the football field again after a more than 50-year hiatus.

Incubating Ideas: Seven years ago while they were still in their 20s, Chad Kittrell, a bank executive at the time, and J.T. Burnette, an entrepreneur, founded private equity firm Hunter & Harp in Tallahassee.

Business Profile: Over the past dozen years, Jacksonville-based Ice House America has built a network of 2,400 self-service ice machines in 27 states.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza founder Anthony Bruno and his dad opened Anthony’s Runway 84 in 1982 near the Fort Lauderdale airport. While continuing that establishment, the younger Bruno decided to start his pizza chain, with backing from six investors, including longtime friend and Hall of Fame ex-football player Dan Marino. Now backed by private equity, he has restaurants throughout south Florida, Tampa Bay and Orlando and is seeing rapid expansion in the New York area, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with the D.C. area in his sights.